Chicago Bulls: Eastern Conference Favorites?

4. Young Guys Filling Needs

Last season, the Chicago Bulls were first in points allowed, surrendering only 91.8 points per game … but they were dead last in scoring, putting up only 93.7 points per game. Not having Derrick Rose obviously had a lot to do with that, but the Bulls’ offseason seems to have been focused on adding a little more scoring and perimeter shooting, an obvious recurring theme we’ve seen from Chicago’s drafting and Summer League team.

Through two games, Tony Snell is averaging 25 points per game on 19-for-36 shooting (53 percent) and 10-for-19 three-point shooting (53 percent). He’s looked much more comfortable as a professional and even better, after struggling in his debut, first round pick Doug McDermott joined the party last night by putting up a game-high 31 points on 5-of-9 three-point shooting. If Snell and McDermott can regularly spread the floor by knocking down threes, the Bulls will be much better off on the offensive end this year.

Second round draft pick Cameron Bairstow wasn’t overwhelmingly good and foul trouble kept him off the floor, but he still managed to put up six points and six boards in limited time while banging bodies in the paint. If the Bulls choose to let Nazr Mohammed go in free agency, Bairstow fills a need as a backup big who will play limited minutes and bruise people in the paint while also spreading the floor with a surprisingly decent midrange shot.